Never say never
by luvallthis
Summary: During a Saturday morning, Julianna received her invitation for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, and, like always, rejected it, despite Hwoarang and Baek’s words. But after an unusual night, will she join her friends or deny her new task? Chapter II up
1. Lack of faith

Disclaimer : Hello!! This is my first fanfic, I'm so excited about it! I hope you guys like it, I worked hard on it '. Oh, English is not my first language ( actually neither the second one ) so be patient, I'm improving the grammar. Tips and advices are wellcome IF they will be for my own good, so keep the flames with you . If the reader's feedback turn out to be positive, lots of new chapters will come! Last thing: I own the story and Julianna, the rest belongs to Namco. Enjoy!

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"Hwoarang! Julianna! Get your fat butts down here right now!" At 7 am of a cloudy Saturday, Baek's voice echoed across the dojo like noise echoes in a hangover, and obviously something was wrong. The thing is that Saturday is the only day Hwoarang and Julianna could sleep until noon, and after busy weeks, is the least the masters could do for their pupils. This was accurately accomplished, until there wasn't anything too important to be said. Guess what? That was the case.

Julianna got up in an instant and ran towards the hallway right away, without think of the fact that she was in her pajamas and her hair was all messed up (luckily, she was wearing bra). When she was on her way to see Baek, she found Hwoarang wearing only boxers, trying to put on a pair of jeans while running like a mad man.

"Rang, what the heck did you do this time?" Asked Julianna, glaring at the red haired.

"Hey, I didn't do anything! In fact, we cleaned the dojo and got back here early yesterday, there's no reason why he should be mad!"

"For the first time you're actually right." Badly Julianna spoke that sentence and Baek shouted their names again. "Jesus Christ, what's wrong with this man?! WAIT A MINUTE, BAEK!"

"WERE COMING, DAMMIT!" Screamed Rang, and both continued to chase Baek's voice desperately.

Julianna was definitely different from other people. Besides her being a truly devoted Christian - rare breed - she had just finished several courses in Oxford University: she graduated in Biomedical Science, then post-graduated in Master of Science - Science and Medicine of Athletic Performance, all of this while she was hard practicing her physical activities. How she manage to do all this with notable excellence and that young? Julianna was intellectually gifted, outstanding even among the other gifted ones. Her brain was highly developed due to constant reading along with other factors, providing her to learn extremely complex subjects easily and in a short time. She was not a genius in all the areas, mostly because she wasn't a fan of algebra and most of exact sciences, but since her curiosity was enormous, Julianna was good is almost all things and enjoyed to learn anything, and didn't took long to her become a master in many subjects.

The woman sustained a medium-length hair, straight at the top of the head and slowly starting to draw big and smooth waves, all sliced at the end of it, colored in scintillated coffee-brown. Her eyes held a small structure, with the extremities formed in a way that made her eyes resemble tiger's ones, only prolonged, and the iris seemed to be filled with shiny chocolate. Her skin was soft, even and white, but she always liked to get a tan, forming visible bikini marks along the neck and chest. The face was softly squared, with high cheekbones, red full lips, perfected formed nose and amazingly designed eyebrows - which were the outstanding part of the face (rectilinear, with falls at the barely end, kind of inclined, dense, long) along with the white large smile - all this giving her a powerful charming appearance. The body was peculiar, kind of muscular due the training, yet very feminine and attractive, reaching the 164 centimeters, composed by normal-sized breasts (but tiff and well formed), a large hip, outstanding pair of legs and a flashy butt (what very often caused admiration from people, especially the opposite sex, combined with lots of embarrassing situations). Finally, she had a ring piercing on the right side of her lower lip, and her ears had three earrings each, plus a piercing on the left one. Indeed, Julianna was unfairly beautiful, and carried on the stereotype of her nationality. Oh yeah, a hell of a Brazilian.

Opposing to the majority's thought, the woman wasn't full of herself or either arrogant. In fact, what was more admirable in her was the humility, agreeing that she was fail and that she didn't know all. To be honest, she was too humble, making tenuous the line between modesty and self-depreciation. What can be said, she was human above all. Still, having all the qualities and defects that her character provides, Julianna was always improving herself in whatever she did.

Although she was good in almost everything, there was one thing Julianna was incredibly talented, and this thing was fighting. Of course she didn't walked the streets looking for kicking butts like Hwoarang did, and like it was said she was a devoted Christian, couldn't hurt a fly. She was crazy about going on competitions, joining demonstrations and practicing for hours various modalities of martial arts and other kinds of technical fight – it was her passion since she was a little girl. From this information, you could think what she used to do all the time with Hwoarang, Baek and her sensei, don't you?

Ok, it was already said too much about Julianna, the rest of her life, personality and the reason why she was living now at the dojo is going to be revealed later, let's not spoil things yet! Keep the curiosity and let's move on with the story.

Julianna and Hwoarang finally reached the living room, where Baek was. The master was placed on the couch, holding two letters in his hand with a weird look on his face. The young guys didn't noticed before, but the master's voice wasn't angry at all, actually it was with a ton of excitement mixed with anxiety. As you can figure out, Baek being excited and anxious about something was pretty odd. Julianna arched her eyebrow by noticing this, and Hwoarang, like the sensible guy he was, shouted of the top of his lungs. "WHOA, what's wrong with you?! Did you found a girl for you or something?!"

Baek immediately changed his face, but instead of making a straight face– like he always did – he cracked up a smile and let out a laugh, what made Julianna arch _both_ of her eyebrows _and_ open her mouth in disbelief. Baek _laughed_ of one of Rang's teases, and neither her founded this one funny. "Ok, what have you drunk, Baek? I don't see you laugh of a stupid joke since… since never! What's going on?"

Baek looked straight to the girl's eyes, then he lifted up the letters in the air with a smirk on his lips. "Maybe you guys will get it when you read these".

Without thinking too much, Hwoarang grabbed the letter with his name on it from Baek's hands, opened it and started to read it in lower voice. Initially the red-haired seemed indifferent, but then his eyes grew wide, he screamed really loud – what probably echoed the whole dojo – and jumped on the girl. Julianna walked a few steps back unbalanced, leaning on a wall and throwing Rang on the floor with a single hit with her arm.

"Now you're really scaring me" Said Julianna. "What's up with you two?"

Baek waved the last letter in his hand, kind of snobby, still sustaining that sarcastic smile on his face. "You still don't know what happened? And they say that you're mentally gifted…"

That moment Julianna understood. How couldn't she have noticed before? Baek and Hwoarang were oddly excited, the master even_ giggled_ of one of Rang's jokes, and this one got so excited that, without considering his weight and his height, jumped on her. The only thing that could be was…

"It is an invitation for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6!" Yeah, Hwoarang couldn't keep a surprise. Ever.

Julie's face became stern in a second, making her smile disappear and that aura of happiness vanish. Trying to contain the restlessness which that name caused in her, the girl took a deep breath and didn't took her invitation from Baek's hand, respecting everyone – let's face it, we know that she would tear it apart.

Julianna hated – oh, how she hated – the KOIFT, something perfectly comprehensible: the Mishima Zaibatsu, which ruled the tournament, was a corrupt company that used to do things absolutely terrible, things from leaving people without a home to causing a huge war (what forced the company in proclaiming itself an independent nation). The girl was involved in many missionary projects; she already had gone to many needed places and she was frequent in a hospital of terminal diseases in Seoul – again, she was a Christian, what did you expect? –making obvious the problems that the outcomming independent nation was causing in her life. For her, it was unacceptable being part of what was affecting the people she loved. Not few times she prayed for the Mishima family, with hopes that something was going to change, but the circumstances seemed to accuse her of not being more than an idealist.

Back to the story, Baek and Rang noticed Julie's feelings and eyed each other, saying mentally that was not the time to celebrate yet.

"Ah, come on Julianna, you have never been in the tournament before! You're the only person besides me – all right, besides me and you master – that I truly think that kick serious butts and you are all 'oh, I don't want to join this tournament of mean people! Stop being so fruity, would you?" Teased the red-haired, speaking Julie's sentence in a girly way.

Julianna glared at Rang, slightly irritated with his words. "Fruity?! Since when prefer not to get involved with a bunch of genocides is 'fruity'?! All this is because you guys have never saw with your own eyes what the Mishima Zaibatsu do! You don't know how it is to see thousands of families looking for crumbs on the streets because they had their houses destroyed, kids crying because their parents had gone to the war and died on the field, enormous green areas being cut down to build an unnecessary and futile industry, eliminating species that are still unknown! And you say to me that I'm being fruity, Hwoarang?!"

"Julianna, we already know your opinion about this tournament" Said Baek serenely, trying to cool down the situation. "But what you think of joining it and changing the luck of the place? Isn't written in Bible that 'we are in the world, but we don't belong to it'?"

The girl's rage slowly transformed in some kind of sadness; her rings around the eyes accentuated and her muscles relaxed. "My outcry got old, Baek. I don't believe that my presence will change anything; honestly, I'm a little tired. What was meant to be done? Praying? Protesting? Fighting? I had done it all. If God wants one more thing, He needs to do a miracle in me. Besides that, is useless to insist, I'm not going to the King of The Iron Fist Tournament. That's my final word." Speaking this, Julianna made her way out of the living room.

"She mentioned that her faith was weak these days" Marked Rang, breaking the deep silence that the girl left behind. "Is really boring when she's like this, is not even funny teasing her".

"I know… I've been praying for her".

Hwoarang then eyed Baek, confused. "You've been _praying_? I can't believe she convinced you to do it!"

A growl came out of Baek's lips. "Yeah, neither can I. It always worked for her, so I'm giving a shot. I think that may help".

Rang thought for a few seconds, looking directly to the floor, then to Baek, and finally spoke. "Oh dammit, I'm going to try it to. Julianna is stubborn as hell!"

"Saying 'dammit' and 'hell' is not a good way to start, Hwoarang"

"Shut up, Baek."

…

"Ok, sorry, I won't tell you to shut up again, jeez! Just take your foot out of my face!"

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Sooo, what you guys think? Good? Awesome? Needs improvement? Terrible? I should be exiled? Anyway, review please!!

I promise that the other chapters are going to be better - or _even _better, right? ;-)

I'll dearly think over English comments!

See you soon (I hope)


	2. Stupid dream

Finally, another chapter of my fanfiction "Never say never"! I took a looooong time to do it… It may seem the opposite, but I wrote and re-wrote the chapter almost 4 times, it was never good enough and I revised the grammar a lot to avoid errors. And here it is! I think it is a good chapter, but the next one is sooo much better, so keep waiting for more!I still accept constructive critics, speacially the grammar part! Have fun, and PLEASE R&R!

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Julianna was unnerved, though she was sleeping. Rolling from one side of the bed to another, she kept a suffering expression and was shaking madly. If anyone could see her at the moment, would assume that she was having a nightmare, but it was much more than that... 

_It was all white, as if a strong flash of light was scintillating towards the scene's panorama, blurring the sight. Slowly this light began to move, allowing identifying it as an equipment of a lamp-post, which along with other pieces was illuminating a fighting stadium. The stadium was large, covert by bars and surrounded by a filled terrace. Instead of hearing screams and cheers there was absolute silence, and replacing the crowd there were angels and demons on the seat with eyes fixed on the arena. On specially two privileged seats there was a white figure with the appearance of a majesty man and, on the other chair, a purple demon with bat wings. _

_Like a camera, the stadium's view was modified, getting close to the centre of the arena. Right on the middle of it, there was a boy, in his 25 and with an original tattoo outlined on his left arm which had a pulsing sparkle; He was stretched out on the floor, groaning in pain, his sweat was coming out from his pores and travelling along his body, his chest panting from weakness, his muscles contracting violently and uselessly was trying to form a phrase before letting out a scream. At his side, there was another man, unconscious, with many visible scars along his torso, arms and face. The two men were very similar in what concerns of physical appearance, probably they were close relative (or even father and son)._

_The two characters on the privileged seats were restless, like if they were expecting the young one to surrender or resist a little more of whatever he was going through. After a while, they got out of their seats and entered the stadium, putting themselves aside the two men: The white figure was reaching out one of his hands, comforting them, his smoked face seeming worried; the purple demon was smirking, talking next to their ears, tempting them. The unconscious man was gaining some conscience and the boy was still in pain. _

_The two characters got away from the men, keeping an eye on them; the now conscious man was somehow possessed, with his left eye turning red and a creepy giggle coming out from his lips, but the young one, still finding hard to breathe, managed to speak the phrase he wanted to: "Get me out of here..."_

Julianna woke up scared, squeezing the sheets with her hands and shaking madly. She seated on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to put herself together. That didn't look like a common dream: it was so clear, so real, so ordinary... It didn't take long for her to realize she didn't have a normal dream indeed, but a vision - a King of Iron Fist Tournament vision.

Lacing her hair in a bun, recovering her breathe and slowly lying down again, Julianna meditated about what she had seen in that dream, it images projecting rapidly in her mind. She did not know why, but the two odd figures were fighting for the men's lives… The unconscious man seemed overtaken but the tattooed boy was struggling hard to not succumb and was crying out for help... But to whom he was asking for?

It was them. Wasn't it? The Mishimas, the cursed blood, the devil gene, she'd already heard about these stories, and now she had to do something about it. There was no escaping this time.

Julianna smoothly fell asleep again.

"You had a dream with that idiot?!" said Hwoarang, spitting rice everywhere, inclusively one grain reached Baek's cheek. "And he asked for _your_ help in it?! Doesn't he hate you?" Rang saw the master's anger and took the grain out of his face before he could received a blow.

"I'm almost sure he does hate me, Rang" answered the girl. "But I got no more doubts! I spent the day praying and fasting - by the way I'm still fasting - and each time I'm more and more convinced. I must participate on the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6".

Julianna's sensei, Phillipe, choked with that last sentence, and Baek eyed the girl, not really believing she had just spoken that. "Are you sure you're all right? I think you're being delirious... Your skin's getting kind of yellow..."

"I'm not being delirious or yellow, Baek. Do you think I would say this if I wasn't sure? And do you think I'm happy about going to this tournament? Because I'm not, but I also don't want to ignore this weird sign of God." - and Julianna didn't look happy after all.

Sensei looked at his pupil, noticing how serious the girl was. "I support you, Julie; visions don't show up every day. Me and these guys over here will finish the lunch and we'll fill your formulary."

A silence banked at the table. Julianna's formulary.

"Oh God… Baek, tell me you didn't throw my invitation away!" said Julianna, starting to freak out.

Baek raised his eyes, looked straight to the girl and turned back to his plate without speaking a word.

"Ahhhh, you got to be joking! Were did you throw it?"

Baek held back a swallow and pointed at the rubbish chute outside the dojo. If it wasn't bad already, the rubbish lorry was leaving.

Julianna went out with a supernatural speed, yelling and waving her arms, trying to stop the lorry from going away, but the lorry driver thought that it was a crazy person stalking him and accelerated a little. The girl got even more desperate and shot off towards the automobile, until one of the dustmen said something to the driver and stopped the lorry.

The Brazilian tripped her lasts steps, supported the hands in her knees and catched up some breath. "I'm sorry sir, but I need something in there…"

The lorry driver looked suspiciously at the girl, while the dustmen were holding their laughs. "Look lady, you can try to find, but don't take too long because I got some work to do".

"Thank you, sir, I won't take long." Feeling a little relieved, Julianna went to the back of the lorry, and start looking for the dojo's rubbish. A dustman saw the girl having some problems and showed which one of the packs she was trying to find. "These are the ones you want, lady. I was the one who took them."

Julianna thanked him, ignoring the tone of laugh in his voice, and got back to the living room with mountains of rubbish. As a bonus, one of the packs split, and even though the girl struggled to keep the pack from tearing apart a junk track formed behind her.

Badly Julianna arrived in the living room, she saw her friends cracking up, including Baek was giving his hoarse laugh. "That's not funny" said the girl, and just then the torn pack broke out and spread rubbish everywhere, making the men laugh even more.

When everyone cooled down, the master noticed that there was _junk_ all over _his_ dojo. "Miss Julianna, you better clean this up or you'll pay 30, of _triceps_! And use a good disinfecting, the smell is intoxicating me."

Julianna realized what she did right away. "Oops! I didn't even think about it! I promise I'll clean it up later, but you guys got to help me find this bloody formulary."

Hwoarang made an expression of laziness and repulse. "You got to be kidding me. I won't put my precious hands in this bunch of junk." Baek narrowed his eyes and slapped the back of Rang's head. "I know, I know! Stop being a little girl, become a man and help the lady!" pointed out the red-haired, rolling up his sleeves along with the other guys.

After a long time searching for the piece of paper, Rang founded the envelope and everyone cheered – well, everyone except for Julianna, who deep inside got a little disappointed with having sure that she was actually going to the tournament. "Yep Julie, it seems that you're going to kick serious 'insensible genocides' butts!" teased Hwoarang, shaking the invitation at the girl's face. Julianna violently took the envelope from his hands. "Come on; give me this bloody piece of paper before I change my mind."

The girl seated beside the table, grabbed a pen and started to fill the formulary. They couldn't say, but as many Hwoarang as sensei and Baek were excited about Julianna showing who's the boss in the tournament - well, that and the fact that she could actually stop the wars and solve a lot of social and political problems; because visions are not in vain, right? Note: actually, Rang just wanted to excel himself on fighting his main rivals, that emo guy and his friend.

Julianna finished the application for the tournament and locked herself into room, without making any comments. The men watched the girl walk to her room and stood there for a few seconds, thinking of how weird the situation was.

And then the sensei realized something. "Huh, Baek…"

"What's wrong, Phillipe?" asked the master.

"She didn't clean up the living room."

The vein in Baek's forehead started to pulse. "...JULIANNA!!!!" shouted, giving angry steps to the girl's room and almost breaking down the door with his knocks.

Maybe Julianna would have an excuse for not joining the King of Iron Fist Tournament: serious injuries.


End file.
